Countenance for the Fallible Infallible
by Eri Kitsune
Summary: Kagome goes off on her own after the defeat of Naraku. betrayed and hunted she finds protection in an unlikely place. but can she be happy here? her 'protector' isnt making it any easier. an obvious pairing, not that i'm going to make it easy for them! it
1. The Wish, The Fight, The Arrangement

Hi peoples! I kinda got stuck in the middle of chapter 4 of LMP sorry. But I did get the idea for this. I'm going to try and make them longer chapters but I can't promise any thing. My muse Aoi abandoned me but BA-AH-chan is here. It's a voice (dunno any thing about it, it just tells me to do stuff and I usually listen.) And it's here to help me with this 'un. By the way, countenance is another word for accept and 

Infallible is another word for definiteness or never wrong. 

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Inuyasha, I never will okay?

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Italics are for thoughts

"___" Is talking

~*~ Signifies a change in location or other similar things

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Countenance for the Fallible Infallible

Chapter 1

The Wish, The Fight, The Arrangement

~*~~~*~~~*~

Kagome trudged through the forest. Her eyes were dry. She had finished with her tears many miles ago. She did not know how far or how long she had been going just that she could not stop. It was over, she had nothing left. The well had been destroyed; she was cut off from her family. Sango and Miroku were staying in Keade's village with Shippou…and Inuyasha. Inuyasha had finally made up his mind. He had chosen Kikyo. He had chosen the corpse, a shadow of a living being over her. The complete Shikon no Tama hung from her neck, nothing more than a useless piece of glass. Her heart had shattered when Inuyasha told her his wish. He wanted he to use the jewel to bring Kikyo back. He wanted her to give up her own soul to the undead miko. His selfishness angered every one. Her friends had remained loyal to her.

~*~Flashback~*~

"Kagome, I know what I want to wish for." He said not looking her in the eyes. The bushes behind him shook as Kikyo stepped into the clearing, a wicked smile plastered on her face.

"I want to bring Kikyo back." He said pulling Kikyo into his chest. Kagome's knees buckled and she fell to the ground in shock. _Why? How could he do this to me? He told me he loved me damn it! _

"I-Inuyasha…d-do you realize what will happen if I make that wish?" Inuyasha looked down at the ground determined not to look at her. "Inuyasha, if I make that wish, I'll…" she paused not wanting to finish her sentence. Finally she whispered, "I'll die."

Nothing, he just continued to stare at the ground. Absolutely nothing. No embarrassment. No guilt. No apology. He just stood there, wrapped around his dead bitch. "You hate me enough to wish I would die." Her tone was bitter and dripped with malice.

"No Kagome, I don't hate you, it's just…I love Kikyo." _Loves Kikyo? Loves KIKYO? LOVES KIKYO! God damn him!_ "Very well Inuyasha," she spat out his name like it was poison. "I am prepared to make the wish." 

"No! Kagome don't do it please!" Shippou cried out as he sobbed into Kirara's fur. She was his mother. She couldn't leave him. This was all Inuyasha's fault. "I hate you!" he screeched. "Inuyasha you bastard!"

"Shippou." She said it quietly, so quietly that he almost missed it. "You're to young to be using such foul language. Don't let Inuyasha corrupt you."

"B-but Kagome…" he said softly tears streaming down his face. Kagome stood again. She looked around at all of her friends. Sango, the girl she considered her sister was sobbing into Miroku's chest. He was crying too, this surprised Kagome. He was always the calm strong-hearted one, the pillar of strength, voice of wisdom. He never showed his pain, emotional that is. Shippou still on a transformed Kirara's back, sobbing openly. Inuyasha standing with Kikyo. Keade's grave, the body of Kohaku, unburied as of yet. Her eyes went back to Sango her mind made up.

Kagome took a few steps back and clasped the jewel in her right hand. Sango watched as her eyes closed and the jewel began to glow a soft pink, the light surrounding her dear friend. She shouted an anguished no. It seemed as if she hadn't heard her. She had lost her entire family now, except Miroku. When had she started thing of the houshi as family? But that didn't matter now, Kagome mattered now. 

Kagome finished the last word of her prayer the pink light burst out and filled the village. Slowly the light faded and Kagome dropped to her knees. She felt weak and strong at the same time. All her friends were looking at her, but Inuyasha was looking at Kikyo. Kikyo was frowning, she didn't feel any different and it seemed that her reincarnation was still living. Every one turned around as the grave sites glowed pink again.

Sango gasped and ran over to her brother's prone form. Nothing had happened to his body. She was glad, she could still bury him properly, and his body wasn't destroyed from that strange light. But why was his body so warm. She laid her head against his chest. She began to sob again. This time is was out of joy. "Oh gods, thank you Kagome, thank you." She cried while clutching her brother's body. A heart beat. He had a heart beat. 

Kagome smiled weakly at her friend. She stood on shaky legs. A strange new feeling coursed through her veins, her very being. Power, she was more powerful than Kikyo ever was. She didn't know exactly where the power came from, just that it was her's. The jewel had released Kagome's miko powers. 

Kikyo took Inuyasha's claws in her left hand and slit the back of her arm. Dust and dirt escaped from the wound before it slowly began to close over. The stupid wretch had made the wrong wish. 

"Kagome…" Inuyasha said softly. "Why…why don't you want me to be happy." Kagome glared at him, her aura flaring. "How dare you say that!" she screamed. "How dare you ask me that when your wish is for me to die! Did you ever stop to think WHY Kikyo was obsessed with you becoming human? She just wanted you to wish on the jewel! Then she could be normal, and live a normal life! She never really loved you for who you were she loved you for what you could be! What you could do for her! Open your eyes you idiot!" with that finally off her chest she ran back to the village. 

"T-that's not true, right Kikyo? Kikyo?" he said sounding desperate when she did not answer him. Kikyo was staring at the retreating form of Kagome. The girl would pay. Once again she was robbed of her chance at a normal life. "Inuyasha she has robbed us of our chance at happiness. Are you going to let her get away with that?" she said quietly in a controlled voice. 

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Am I going to let her get away with it? I can't kill her, I just can't…there has to be something I could do… "The well." _What…?_ "Inuyasha the well!" he looked at Kikyo with confusion etched on his face. "What?"

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What a moron, how many times will I have to say it! "the well Inuyasha, destroy it, It's the perfect revenge!" _I can kill her myself later_. "The well…?"

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But could I really do that to her…for Kikyo. For Kikyo I can. "Okay Kikyo I'll do it."

~*~End Flashback~*~

Kagome paused just out side of a clearing. Moonlight filtered through the over head branches making eerie patterns on the forest floor. She whirled around, her bow drawn, arrow at the ready. _Someone's there. They can't be after me already._ She thought with urgency. "Come out of hiding." She said steadily. Silence gnawed at her resolve. With a small noise almost like a growl she shouted, "I know you're there, so come out already! If you're after the jewel you can have it; it's worthless now! And if not, stop being a fucking coward hiding in the shadows of the trees!" she whirled again as her target jumped high over her head and landed in the clearing ahead. "Sesshoumaru." She said as she tightened her grip on the bow. 

Sesshoumaru looked at the woman-child in front of him with mild distaste. She was a strange creature, with those odd and indecent clothes. For a human she seemed slightly intelligent, and powerful. Now she had sparked his interest. Standing before him with a barley detectable amount of fear. Her eyes were angry. They swam with a multitude of emotion, the most prominent one betrayal. Her aura flared when she saw him. "You called me a coward." He stated calmly.

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Great, just great. Now I've made him mad. But Kami help me if he calls me Inuyasha's women. "You were hiding in the bushes Lord Sesshoumaru."She said this just as calmly as the demon standing before her. "That is irrelevant." He stated looking her in the eyes. "Actually it is quite relevant. You were hiding from a **human**, at **night**, in the **bushes**." Her bow creaked and she stared at him knowing full well that those words would cause him to attack her. The only thing was, he didn't. 

Sesshoumaru stared at the girl who dared to insult him. He stood still contemplating what the change that had overcome this young woman. She held no fear; he sensed a grim determination radiating from her. She began to look apprehensive as time slowly ticked on. Not willing to attack but not willing to let her guard down.

__

Why hasn't he attacked me yet? She shifted her weight slightly. "What do you want." She looked strait into his cold amber eyes. He remained silent and looked as if he was studying her.

"Where is the half breed Miko." He stated coldly. "I don't know." She replied stonily. The demon lord searched her face for any trace of falsehood. He found none, but wasn't ready to drop the matter. "He is your constant travelling companion. He is too protective of you to let you wander off on your own." She looked ready to burst with anger. "Perhaps in the past he was but recently he has sought my demise along with his lover." Now he was slightly confused. _My brother has always seemed to love this girl and he is now after her blood? I was sure his brother would take this girl for his mate. She was strong, intelligent, loyal, brave and rather attractive for a human._ _Wait a moment where did that come from. There must be a way to use this against him. _He smiled wickedly a plan formulated in his mind. 

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Ok **now **I'm worried, he smiling. I've only seen him smile just before he did something horrible to Inuyasha. He resolve was slowly crumbling and fear was catching in the back of her throat. "So he has betrayed you Miko." She eyed him carefully. "Yes." She could barley get the word out. Saying it out loud made it seem more real. _I can't run forever. They'll catch me eventually. That is if I don't die for some other reason before hand._ The fact that one possible reason of that stood in front of her wasn't helping anything. _He keeps calling me Miko…_ "My name is Kagome, not Miko, wench, human, or girl. Kagome." 

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Yes she is assuredly brave, or a death craving fool. It was time to initiate his plan; he could smell her fear. "You will come to my palace and teach my ward the ways of the Miko. You will stay within the grounds at all times. In return you will be protected from the half breed." She seemed started by his proposition. 

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His palace? He lives in a **palace?** Well, duh Kagome! He has to live some where. Wait he's going to protect me from Inuyasha? That's a switch…he has a ward!? "I'm not trained." Was all she could come up with. Sesshoumaru seemed unaffected by this news. 

__

She's this powerful and she's not even trained. The rumors, could they be true? It seems I've come at just the right time. If trained she could become extremely powerful. She will make a strong ally even if she is just a human. "I will arrange your training. If you accept my offer." 

Kagome felt torn. She needed protection from Inuyasha but the lingering sense of loyalty kept her from being fully decisive. _He's willing to protect me, have me trained and give me a place to stay if I go with him and teach this 'ward' of his? _ She relaxed her hold on the bow. She knew what she had to do. "I accept."

~*~~~*~~~*~

In this story its four years later so Kagome's out of high school. And yes Sesshy has two arms. It grew back, nyah! I know Sesshoumaru seems slightly OOC in this chapter, but do you really know what he's thinking? Of course you don't. Besides it's his plan 'member? He's planning something. I'm not sure what quite yet but I'm gonna start the next chapter real soon. I want to finish it before I go to California in like two weeks. **PLEASE REVIEW!!!** 'Cause if you don't I wont post it before I go and you'll have to wait till I get back. (roughly four or five weeks from now)

Ja ne!

~Reika~

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Finished: 7/10/03

Posted: 7/10/03

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	2. Chapter two: Journey

ALLLLLLL RIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!!!!! I so happy! People really like my story! And my muse Aoi is back! I glad because when I sent his twin brother Aka out to find him he got………distracted (Aaron and Kaitlyn know what I mean) but he's back and I can write the next chapter of my other story! I will now strive to get use good grammar. Aaron will someday live to regret what he wrote in his review ((maniacal laughter)) By the way, countenance is another word for accept and Infallible is another word for definiteness or never wrong.

DISCLAIMER: really people could a person with grammar as bad as mine own Inuyasha? Really, come on. 

__

Italics are for thoughts

"___" Is talking

~*~ Signifies a change in location or other similar things

~*~~~*~~~*~

__

Yes she is assuredly brave, or a death craving fool. It was time to initiate his plan; he could smell her fear. "You will come to my palace and teach my ward the ways of the Miko. You will stay within the grounds at all times. In return you will be protected from the half breed." She seemed startled by his proposition. 

__

His palace? He lives in a **palace?** Well, duh Kagome! He has to live some where. Wait he's going to protect me from Inuyasha? That's a switch…he has a ward!? "I'm not trained." Was all she could come up with. Sesshoumaru seemed unaffected by this news. 

__

She's this powerful and she's not even trained. The rumors, could they be true? It seems I've come at just the right time. If trained she could become extremely powerful. She will make a strong ally even if she is just a human. "I will arrange your training. If you accept my offer." 

Kagome felt torn. She needed protection from Inuyasha but the lingering sense of loyalty kept her from being fully decisive. _He's willing to protect me, have me trained and give me a place to stay if I go with him and teach this 'ward' of his? _ She relaxed her hold on the bow. She knew what she had to do. "I accept."

~*~~~*~~~*~

Countenance for the Fallible Infallible

Chapter 2

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~*~~~*~~~*~

Sesshoumaru watched as she lowered her bow. _She is very trusting._ He thought, A_lmost too trusting._ "Where is your palace?" She asked, returning the unused arrow to her quiver. "In the west." She gave him a withering look. "Of course it's in the west you're the Lord of the Western Lands for Kami's sake!" He bit back a growl. _She needs to learn some respect. Does she not know her place?_

Kagome swallowed. He was growling._ Uh oh, I made him mad._ Nevertheless she continued to stand straight refusing to let fear control her actions. "I am sorry Sesshoumaru-sama, I was rude."

He could smell her fear as she apologized. _She has spent too much time with the half-breed. It has made her rash and discourteous. At least she realizes she was bad mannered. _With a curt nod he turned and walked into the clearing. The Miko following slightly behind. 

"How many days travel is it from here?" she asked wondering if he would be as much of a slave driver as his brother had been for the last four years. "A week by foot for a human, for a youkai, three days at the right speed. One or two by air. I do not wish to prolong this trip so to my deep remorse we will be traveling by air." She stared at his back a moment "Which means…?" She asked, not bothering to finish her sentence in hopes she was mistaken. 

With an annoyed sigh the Taiyoukai turned to face the teenager. "Yes, I will have to carry you." He watched her sigh in acceptance. "All right." She adjusted her pack and quiver. "I suppose this is the part where you say how smelly weak and useless humans are and how we just get in the way and you wonder why you even bother." She let all this out in one breath. Her voice contained no trace that she was mocking him or showing disrespect. He assumed this was what his half brother always said. In truth he thought she smell rather good. The horrible smell most humans emitted did not come from her in the least. She walked closer to him. She stood a few inches away the sent of fear and uncertainty coming off her. _She smells like Sakura trees during a rainstorm._ He thought. Quickly brushing the thought aside as a cloud of youki formed under their feet. 

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagome into him and she 'eeped'. She clutched his kimono as he took to the air. _What have I gotten myself in to now._ She thought as a nervous knot formed in her stomach. 

~*~

The annoying human still held onto his kimono as though it was the only thing holding her in the air. The higher they flew the more nervous she became. The more nervous she became the stronger her sent became, laced with the emotions she was feeling. Such a multitude of emotions was overwhelming to the Lord and he wasn't the one experiencing them. He couldn't imagine what Kagome was going through. 

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Oh my god, we're so high up! What if drops me? What if he was lying and he brought me up here so he could watch me fall to my death? A little voice in the back of her head spoke up.

'Don't be silly, if he wanted you dead you'd be long since buried by now. Besides, if he were going to kill you would you be flying through the air in his arms?' 

Well no I guess not…but-

.

'But what? Stop worrying cant you just enjoy this for once. Think about it, you're **flying**, in the arms of one of the most **gorgeous **men even in existence-'

NO! No no no no no NO! I am NOT hearing this. Maybe he's not gonna kill me, maybe I can relax a little.

The girl in his arms was deep in thought. Her scent changed as the expressions on her face changed from worry to reluctance to anger then she began to calm down. Her death grip on his kimono loosened. Her scent filled his nose and dulled his senses. "Calm down girl your horrible stench is suffocating me." _It's not a complete lie. Her scent is suffocating me but in truth she smells better than most demons I've met. _He felt her bristle in his arms. 

"well it's getting dark. If I smell so bad why don't you land near a hot spring so I can take a bath." She said testily lifting her chin to look him in the eye. _Please work, please work, please work!_ She chanted in her head. "Very well." He said, altering his course slightly and heading more North. Kagome blinked. _It really worked?_ She thought as they touched down in a small clearing.

As soon as his feet hit the ground Sesshoumaru shoved her roughly away. "Itai!" she exclaimed landing on her butt. "What was that for!" she demanded. "I told you, your scent was suffocating me." He said calmly. From her position on the ground Kagome growled slightly. 

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She has definitely been spending too much time with the hanyou. She's picked up a few demonic traits. "Jerk." She muttered darkly. "what did you say?" he growled out, even though he had heard her perfectly. "Nothing." She sang out innocently. _I'll let it slide…for now._ "Which way to the hot spring?" she asked brightly. "Just through those trees." He said tilting his head gracefully to the right. 

"Thank you." _A hot spring, a real hot spring. I don't have to bathe in frigid water today!_ She beamed at the stoic youkai after grabbing her bathing supplies. She crossed the clearing and wove through the trees. 

He watched her go out of the corner of his eyes. Noticing that she brought her bow and arrows with her as she left. _Perhaps she really is more intelligent than she looks. _He thought. he closed his eyes and leaned against a tree, heightening his other senses. 

A half a minute later Kagome found herself standing next to the hot springs. It was a large circular pool of steaming water. It was filled with an azure blue liquid that winked in the fading sunlight. She set her things down, making sure her bow and quiver were easily accessible. She strained the little miko power she had control over and determined that the only demon in the immediate vicinity was Sesshoumaru himself. Undressing, she slid into the water. She relaxed silently for a few minutes before, with a content sigh, she began to wash her hair. 

~*~

Sesshoumaru hadn't moved an inch from his spot against the tree when Kagome reentered the clearing. Not wanting to bother him she put her items away and pulled out her sleeping bag. she didn't feel the need to eat despite, her stomachs noisy protests, and soon fell into a light sleep. One hand closed over her bow. 

~*~

Sesshoumaru opened his eyes. The sun had been up long enough. It was time to awaken the miko. He walked over to where she was almost completely hidden in her strange blanket. "Wake up." The girl rolled over. "Jus five mer minutes…" she mumbled. He growled, he was not used to being ignored this way. "Up now!" he barked grabbing her by the back of her shirt. 

She let out a startled scream. "I'm up, I'm up, a little to up!" she cried as she noticed that her feet dangled a foot off the ground. He set her back on the ground and continued to growl. She sighed with relief. _That was the worst wake up call I've ever received._ She thought as she rolled up her sleeping bag. She took a deep breath. _And the most affective one too._

After putting her sleeping bag away she rummaged through her pack. She pulled out two small oranges. Turning she threw one at Sesshoumaru with a casual "Here." He raised an eyebrow. "Oh come on it's not poison." She began to peel the one in her hand. "They're just oranges." He snorted and dropped the fruit on the ground. "Fine, have it your way." She said as she began to eat. _He's not in a very good mood today. _She thought.

After finishing her orange Kagome shouldered her pack. "Ready to go?" she asked Sesshoumaru with a smile. "If we leave now we should arrive at my castle just after sundown." He answered as her stepped closer to her and held on to her so she wouldn't fall to her death. They took off and headed west in a faster pace than the previous day. _I want to reach home as soon as possible._ He thought._ Then I can get away from this human_. He thought with a small frown. He was relived to see that the girl did not insist on clutching his shirt today.

~*~~~*~~~*~

There we are. Chapter two is now out. Not much happened yet. It was a bit more lighthearted in this time. I'll try to make the next chapter more interesting. I think I'll shake things up a bit in the next chapter. Someone needs to get attacked by something, don't you agree? I might be able to squeeze in one more up date before my vacation, well I'll try at least. And remember, the more reviews I get, the more I want to write. 

Ja ne!!

~Reika~

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Finished: 7/15/03

Posted: 7/15/03

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	3. rewrite

Hey folks, check out the rewrite of chapter 1. It's not quite finished, but it's up.


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